This is a favorite of my girls and they pack them for every rehearsal it seems like. If you want to make energy balls, you can leave out the coconut oil and get a softer product that you can shape into 1 Tbsp serving balls. I usually put the bars into sandwich bags so kids can just grab a bag and go.

February started out with an archery tournament with Robyn up in SLC. This is a picture of just the kids in her school who made it on the team this year. She had a great time, kept her nerves under control and came in 3rd for her school with the team as a whole coming in 4th for the state.

While Robyn and I were away, Allison was busy taking the ACT and going to the sweethearts dance. Jeremy was busy setting up photo equipment so her friends made sure to give her date a suitably hard time.

We were able to have the Hall girl cousins over for a weekend. We discovered our favorite ice cream Sunday place, watched too many super hero shows and went to Provo rec for some swimming and rock climbing.

The month ended with my parents arriving and Spencer coming home for Spring Break. My dad attended roots tech and helped Jeremy build a new platform in our garage in preparation for a wheelchair lift coming this week. My mom ran the home front and helped Robyn and her friend Karly make scones.

Rest of the month has been full of regular life that keeps everyone busy and happy. Allison has had BB games and activities to go to. Robyn has been touring the junior high and figuring out classes for next year. Jeremy has been busy juggling different jobs that he is doing right now. I have had field trips and career days and lots of meetings that go along with Special Ed. Nothing really noteworthy just lots of good days that leave you tired out and happy and grateful at night.

January started off by Spencer convincing us all to make prime rib for New Year's Eve and going to see a BYU men's volleyball game. Then he was back off to college, Allison came home from her trip to California to see my family and school was back into full force.

Regular life met new peer tutors and Saturday computer classes for me, date with cousin, archery team and art classes for Robyn, and some fun times for Allison - stag Save Ferris Dance, friends over, date to Sweater Swing and getting asked to Sweethearts dance for February.

Our baby turned 12! On her birthday she took brownies to school, had a day long fieldtrip to see SUU gymnastics, then had friends over for nachos, ice cream and going to color me mine. Next day it was time for an awesome birthday lunch date with her dad...more nachos and ice cream. She definitely has inherited something from her dad besides her beautiful eyes!

Then the first day we could Allison and I along with her friend Luke took Robyn to the temple for the first time. It was also the afternoon we were waiting to get results from the cancer board where our doctor was making Jeremy's case - good place to wait, calm my nerves and get some needed perspective.

The radiologist report from the first week of January had been pretty depressing. Said the tumor was bigger than it had ever been and had spread. The board agreed that surgery was a good option for us to pursue. So on my birthday we had an appointment with the surgeon. Friends and neighbors knew the day was going to be stressful so they showed forth love and support in amazing ways. I count one of my greatest blessing being the people I am surrounded by. They have carried me through this year and on my birthday especially. Even my para's and student's parents decorated my classroom - which I can't show because of all the confidentiality stuff but I wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry all day long.

Surgeon said radiologist were wrong. The medication had helped with all the OTHER tumors - yep took us by surprise as well. So we are looking at a pretty dramatic surgery maybe at the beginning of summer. Jeremy had caught influenza B the weekend before. So he spent the week on Tami Flu wearing a mask and under quarantine at our house. Luckily by Friday he was feeling much better...

Two weeks ago with all this stressful news hitting us, Jeremy asked if we could go away over night. So I made arrangements for a sub and for kids and Friday morning thanks to Donny Osmond "aka fairy godfather" we had an amazing weekend. Donny flew us in his private plane to Las Vegas for 2 days. He arranged for us to stay at the Flamingo, see a magic show, "O" at Bellagio, Legends, spend an afternoon at the spa getting massages, dinner out and of course to see the Donny and Marie Show and then we all flew back together late Saturday night. What an unbelievable trip by an extremely caring, generous man.

Diet went out the window this weekend for sure.

It definitely has been an emotional month of lots of ups and downs. I am grateful that at the end of the month we were given the gift of time and can discuss more of what the next few years will be like not whether we will have them or not. It will definitely be a new normal for us but that is becoming something we are more used to. Our new normal constantly changes but we are trying hard to be flexible and have hope during the down times and gratitude during the up times.

It seems like my posts get further and further apart! Jeremy had two trips this November. One to a convention in Arizona to take photos. They had a holiday get together and I was able to meet all the people that he has been enjoying traveling and taking photos with.

Another trip was for a guys trip with my side of the family to Lake Tahoe. With
Spencer in the middle of college classes he sadly wasn't able to join
them for the guys trip this year. They ate, hiked and talked and enjoyed their time together. I was grateful Jeremy got to get away and for the relationship the men in my family have. If anything this year has taught me to value the relationships we have.

Of course these trips also coincided with Jeremy switching jobs. So the pressure and time commitments have gone up. He is excited for the adventure and new opportunities of it as well.

For Thanksgiving, Spencer came down and we all got to drive to Denver to spend the weekend with Daniel's family. We ate, we played, we hiked and ran, watched movies, did crafts and just had an amazing time hanging out. When we said what our favorite parts were, Spencer said just being able to eat and be around family, Jeremy said to just be able to sit around and relax, Allison said doing Black Friday shopping with Mimi and Robyn said playing. I think my favorite part was just having nothing to do but enjoy being together. We did some family photos. This one made me laugh as Taylor looks like he is smirking.

Robyn and I put together a Bob Ross art project which impressed me with what they were capable of doing:

It was a wonderful much needed time with family and we had amazing hosts who handled sick kiddos and extra guests with always love and warmth. None of us wanted to leave - especially as we took the long way home to drop Spencer back off at college on the way!

We had a sad event this holiday season with Jeremy's uncle passing away. This is the last sibling of his mom to die. Robyn accompanied him up to Idaho along with Jason and his kids for the funeral. Jeremy had actually been able to go up a few weeks earlier and spend a day with Ron to say good-bye which he was grateful he had been given that opportunity.

We celebrated Jeremy's birthday with an early spin class and then out to breakfast. He wanted to work an event that night as a photographer and eggs right now are his indulgence not cake so it worked out for all of us. And Spencer and Robyn decided chicken and waffles are amazing.

I actually was there!

Spencer came down a week before Christmas just a few hours before the girls showcase for their theater company. I am sure he planned it! Allison even had her friend Kaori surprise her by being there.

December was full of choir concerts, club parties, field trips and all the other wonderful craziness that goes along with the season. We got to do some fun date nights and catch up with old and new friends.

Jeremy treated all of us girls to new dresses for Christmas:

I loved having Christmas Eve on a Sunday. On Christmas Adam (sat) we met with the rest of the Hall's to see a very, very different version of the Nutcracker. Then we went back to Jason's house for nachos, truffles and Elf. Robyn was very insistent this year that all the traditions happen and we realized that these traditions started right before she was born so she has never known anything different!

Then on Christmas Eve after an amazing sacrament meeting the Hall's joined us for dinner, presents and games. Christmas Day was just an easy, fun time together. We set up a double shot in our basement and have been having some fierce competitions ever since. No one has been able to beat Jeremy.

We drove Allison up to the airport as she flew out to spend a week with my parents and then went and wondered through Temple Square to see the lights. I love seeing the lights at Christmas time, remembering going there with Jeremy when dating and throwing my penny in to make a wish that we would get married someday and being grateful that we were sealed together in the temple. Nothing like cancer to remind you that this life is temporary and being grateful for what is eternal.

Other big news is that Robyn got braces right after Christmas.

We have done the necessary evils of being off of school. All the kids and myself visited the dentist. Kids all got their physicals and shots. Spencer did all his missionary medical stuff and we cleaned out rooms. But we tried to fit in fun stuff like ice skating and trampoline parks, puzzles and lots of old psych episodes and movies, date nights and treats.